This invention relates to dump vehicles, and more particularly to a tailgate regulator for a dump vehicle.
In a conventional truck vehicle having a dump body, the rear end of the dump body is normally closed by a tailgate freely suspended about a horizontal swing axis. Thus, as long as the dump body is in its normal loaded, horizontal position, the tailgate hangs by gravity in a vertical position for closing the rear end of the dump body. As the dump body is elevated, the rear end of the dump body moves forward away from the tailgate, which remains suspended in a truly vertical position about its swing axis, thereby opening the rear end for dumping the contents of the dump body. The higher the dump body is tilted, the greater the space or opening for discharging material between the open rear end of the dump body and the freely hanging tailgate. In these conventional dump bodies, the tailgate is usually latched in a closed position to close the open rear end of the dump body while the vehicle is loaded and transporting the loaded material from one site to another. When it is desired to dump the contents of the vehicle, the tailgate latch has to be manually or automatically removed. However, once the tailgate is unlatched, it is free to swing and seek its vertical position.